textproduct: Amarillo

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 1229 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

-Elevated fire weather conditions this weekend into the beginning of next week. Conditions are favorable for fires to spread quickly.

-Warm temperatures next week, with precipitation possible (around 30% chance) Tuesday evening and into next weekend.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Sunday night) Issued at 1229 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

The upper level trough to our north will transition eastward through the short term period. An attempt at upper level ridge development will begin this weekend; however, 500 mb heights should remain relatively unchanged as we head into Monday. Surface winds should continue to flow from the north for most of our Saturday due to the cold airmass that settled over the region. A surface high is progged to set up across the panhandles tonight, which will allow winds to become light and variable. Once this surface feature becomes displaced, the pressure gradient will tighten and wind speeds will increase once again Sunday afternoon.

High temperatures this weekend will start off in the 60's and 70's, but will rise to the 70's areawide tomorrow. Lows should range from the 30's to lower 40's. Sky conditions are expected to be mostly sunny. Despite the relatively cooler temperatures, fire weather will still be a marginal threat for the next couple of days due to persistent dry air and and breezy winds. Elevated fire weather conditions are anticipated until quality moisture returns.

Rangel

LONG TERM

(Monday through Friday) Issued at 1229 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

As the current weather system propagates east of the southern plains, a ridge of higher pressure begins to take its place. This will allow for warmer temperatures to build throughout the week and fire weather conditions to prevail on Monday. However, the relatively weak magnitude of the ridge and jet interactions will allow for terrain invoked precipitation and shortwave weather systems to move into the area. Temperatures will increase through midweek; however, may be stifled by a weather system on Thursday.

Terrain invoked precipitation is possible Tuesday evening in the western CWA. A slight increase in Gulf moisture transport coupled with turbulent flow over the mountains is increasing rain signals. Probabilities remain low at this time (around 30%) due to uncertainty in existing dry air affecting precipitation as it enters the CWA. These uncertainties for Tuesday lie in whether Gulf moisture transport can displace enough dry air for precipitation to reach the ground. Temperatures will rebound Wednesday, with likely our warmest day of the forecast period. Thursday, an upper-level shortwave trough looks to produce a low-pressure system to push through the area. Ridging throughout the week will allow moisture content to build into the Panhandles before a lee-side low can set up a boundary across the CWA on Thursday. Timing and magnitude of this event are still very uncertain, and the signal will continue to be monitored and updated. As an upper level trough ejects into our CWA on Friday, we will likely see an active weather pattern from Friday through the weekend.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1229 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

VFR conditions are expected to prevail over the 6Z TAF period. Winds will remain out of the N for most of the TAF period. LLWS is possible from 10Z to 14Z, however the best chance is at GUY. Winds will increase to around 13-15 kts around 16Z, but decreasing after that until reaching VRB around 0Z.

AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...None. OK...None.